NYC Sanitation Trucks Do Much More than Collect Refuse

It collects some 9,000 tons of refuse and recyclables a day, but that’s just one of the jobs carried out by the New York City Dept. of Sanitation (DSNY) fleet of 2,500 heavy-duty collection trucks. They serve as protection for presidents and popes, carry people to safety during floods and hurricanes, lead recovery efforts after disasters and, perhaps most importantly, marshal their full strength within an hour to clean the city streets of snow even when it hits record levels like the 30-inch snow storm last winter.

In addition to the heavy and varied workload, DSNY is expected to lead New York’s green fleet efforts by pushing for clean fuels and technologies from its suppliers while also serving as a test bed for anything that holds promise. With some 19,000 mi. of roadway within city limits, DSNY vehicles “drive every street every day,” says Dept. of Sanitation Commissioner Karen Garcia. “We drive more every day than anyone else, so we’re a big player in the city’s clean fleet initiative.”